Two Worlds: The Journey to Home
by Vendiche and Avalon
Summary: I knew I read a lot of OC fanfics where they suddenly fall into a new world, but I didn't really expect the same thing to happen to me! You just wait. When I get back to the real world, I am SO going to smack whomever is responsible for this. OC-centric.
1. Log 1: The End of a Normal Life

**AN - Vendiche here. Just to let you know, when I decided to do the whole "OC falls into whatever world" bit, I didn't expect to do one for One Piece. Not to mention that this will be the first fanfic that Avalon and I will be posting ever since I made this account. It's been awhile since I last wrote something so please be gentle. If you don't like it, please refrain from reading it then. There will be no solid pairing in this story and the closest couple would probably be OC/OC. Then again, I might write something in without realizing it. Interpret it however you want.**

**This is the first time I'm writing for One Piece so bear with me. Avalon's helping me as much as she can as well as One Piece Wikia. If we're missing something or something doesn't seem right, please let us know.**

**Disclaimer: Vendiche and Avalon do NOT own One Piece or any other anime (or some other media) that may be mentioned and/or referenced to. No matter how hard we may wish it so. However, we do own the OCs.**

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><p><strong>Two Worlds: The Journey to Home<strong>

**Chapter 1: The End of a Normal Life and the Bringing of Disarray**

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><p>I knew I read a lot of OC fanfics where they suddenly fall into a new world, but I didn't really expect the same thing to happen to me! You just wait. When I get back to the real world, I am SO going to smack whomever is responsible for this.<p>

Oh. I should probably start from the beginning and introduce myself. My name is Crescent D. Venn (or Venn D. Crescent, however you want to say it) but people close to me call me Vasche. The name is pronounced the same way as Vash but the story behind that name is for a later date. As of right now, I'm currently stuck in a situation that most anime fans would hack a limb for; whether it be theirs or someone else's. A little graphic but I'm not in the mood right now. I guess the only thing I can do is make the best of what I've got and try to get home. I knew I shouldn't have read so many of those OC insert stories…

Anyway, it all started one morning as I got out of bed and did the usual ritual of taking a shower, feeding my two rabbits, and preparing breakfast. I live in my own apartment in the city and my school is only a few blocks away, perfectly within walking distance if you set out at the right time. You see, I'm an only child, currently eighteen-years-old at the time. As of right now, it's just me and my dad. Well, it's really just me. My mom passed away when I was young and my dad is always on some sort of business trip, not that I really care. Sometimes he forgets I exist but at least he got me own apartment and remembers to pay for the rent. It's a good thing he paid for the furniture as well. The only thing I have to worry about is the groceries.

I turned off the shower and grabbed my towel. Looking in the mirror, I can see an effeminate face framed by black hair that ended just right above the shoulders and dark grey eyes, almost bordering on black. I'll tell you now. I'm 100% male. I just happen to take more from my mother's side. It annoys me that I could so easily be mistaken as girl but then again, I can't really do anything about genetics. I left the bathroom and got dressed in whatever clean clothes that was nearby, my two rabbits hopping around my feet.

Yes, I have two rabbit living in my apartment. Both rabbits are female and are actually sisters. From what I'm sure is the eldest, one rabbit has a pure white coat and red eyes, with a red ribbon tied into a bow on her neck. To contrast the first one, the other rabbit had a black coat instead with a blue ribbon. The strange thing, though, is that her eyes were blue. I didn't think rabbits' eyes could be blue. I didn't question it since my dad never told me where he got them from. The white rabbit's name is Moka and the black one is Kona. Moka tends to stick her nose in other people's business and is unusually brave for a rabbit while Kona usually sticks close to me. I named them after Mokona and Black Mokona from CLAMP; my friend Ava gets a kick out of it. Speak of which, I should probably get a move on and get breakfast ready. You see, Ava is what you can consider a childhood friend and often bursts in –

"VOOIIII! VASCHE! I HOPE YOU'RE GETTING BREAKFAST READY 'CAUSE I'M STARVIN' HERE!" Enter Lon S. Avril, otherwise known as Ava. Several loud knocks could be heard from the front door. I hurried over and quickly opened it. It looked like it was going to break any second.

"I can see you're already disturbing the neighbors," I deadpanned as I let the rambunctious girl in. As stated before, Ava is my childhood friend. A girl with long red hair tied into a high ponytail with a black ribbon and light grey eyes. She was only a few inches shorter than me. She was wearing a white off-shoulder shirt with long sleeves and I could see red and orange butterflies dotting the bottom. She finished off with black leggings and red slip-on shoes; a red backpack was draped over her right shoulder.

"Whatever! I'm glad you're still wearing the hoodie I got you," she said, checking over my attire. If you wanted to know, I'm wearing a simple black turtleneck and black jeans, finishing off with my usual black boots. The hoodie she was talking about is my sleeveless panda hoodie. Completely white all over except for two black panda ears sewn on the hood. The zipper was actually customized to be the yin-yang symbol. Now normally, I wouldn't go describing people's clothes, nevertheless my own. Might as well give you something to visualize, right?

"Of course. I'm not sure what you would do if I got rid of the thing," I pushed her to the living room; "You also got me one with the black sleeves." I went into the kitchen and grabbed the eggs from the fridge. She giggled at me and picked up Moka, going over to sit on the couch with the white rabbit on her lap. She knew I loved the hoodies she got me as a gift. She'll never hear me say it out loud though. Sometimes, I'm not entirely honest about my own feelings but we grew up together so Ava knows about my oddities. Like how I usually don't show much emotion, if I can help it, and the fact I have a slight weakness for cute things…nevermind.

"Guess what? I got the new One Piece manga that just arrived! I also brought some of the first volumes so you can get a recap from the beginning," she carefully pushed Moka off and rushed over, proceeding to shove a book in my face as I was cooking the bacon. "I swore I was going to get you more into One Piece, regardless of your usual tastes. Good thing it's the weekend, huh?" I pushed her back, carefully maneuvering her so she wouldn't step on Kona who was near my feet. I placed the bacon with rest of the food on the table and got out the food pellets for the rabbits. Ava and I have different preferences for anime: she would usually go for the more popular Shonen Jump titles likes Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece while I was more various in my choices like Mahou Sensei Negima, XXXHolic, and other titles. Another thing is that I usually don't stick with a particular anime for very long. I tend to drift between different genres. Mechas, magical girls, high school shenanigans, the supernatural…

"I'd rather stick with Akamatsu-sensei and his works," I said, bending down and lightly petting Kona on the head. I couldn't help but smile as the black rabbit shifted closer to me. Ava scoffed, "Forget that! Go for Oda-sensei!" She suddenly grabbed me and dragged me to the couch, momentarily forgetting about the food. She shoved the first volume into my chest. The look on her face told me she was fully expecting me to read it along with the rest of the five volumes she had in her backpack. I had a feeling she wouldn't let me eat until I at least finished the first one. I just sighed and opened the manga. I could hear her munching on some bacon behind me. She was probably reading the current volume that she was raving about.

Okay, I'll admit the manga wasn't so bad. I'm not exactly a big fan of One Piece but I guess I know the general information about the story. I watched a few episodes here and there; they weren't really in order though. However, there are some things I didn't understand. Like one time, Ava wouldn't shut up about my middle initial. She started off about something called the "Will of the D." and would sometimes break into laughter every time she looked at me. I don't see what all the fuss is about. She knew the D. in my name stands for Dorian. Not that I would tell anyone my middle name right off the bat…please ignore the previous statement. I finally finished the last of the books she brought with her. She let me up to eat breakfast earlier since I was "dutifully" reading. As I put the book down on the coffee table, I noticed a package slightly hidden underneath Ava's backpack. I made a grab for it and read the address.

"Ava. Why do you have my mail?" She looked up from my laptop that I left on the other side of the room. I could tell she was reading fanfiction. She doesn't do anything else on the Internet. "Hm? Oh that. I was going to give it to you earlier but I got hungry." I could feel the angry stress marks already. I sighed and went to the kitchen to grab a knife for the packaging tape. The first thing I saw after opening the box was a letter. I immediately recognized the watermark. It was often used by my mother's family.

_Crescent D. Venn,_

_You are now of age and ready to wield what we have sent you. It would have arrived sooner but unfortunately, there have been minor complications. Your mother had her own set and now you will receive yours. In this package are four rings, three of which you are required to wear at all time: two silver and one gold. You may present the fourth gold ring to whomever you wish to share in correspondence. Also, there will be two bags. One of the bags is required as well as the other to whomever has the fourth ring. Everything is set up perfectly so all I can say is to return safely from your journey. We're counting on you._

_Head of the Crescent Family_

Ookay... My relatives on my mom's side of the family were always a bit strange. I can see two silver rings and two gold rings along with the bags that were mentioned in the letter. Another bit of information about my name: I share my last name with my mom, although I haven't made it official yet. I have my own reasons why I refuse to take my dad's. I put on the two silver rings, one for each hand, and went back to my bedroom. I remember having a silver chain somewhere…there it is. I grabbed it and laced it through one of the gold rings, wrapping the chain altogether around my neck. I probably should be questioning about what was written in that letter. I don't know why I'm following the old man's instructions. Sometimes I tend to follow blindly without thinking. I just don't like creating conflicts so I just follow orders. I had a feeling that this habit of mine is going to bite me in the ass one day. I went back to the living room and grabbed the letter along with the box.

"Here…this one's for you," I said, presenting the last gold ring to the girl lounging on my couch. Ava just gave me this blank look before giggling. "Why, Vasche. I don't know what to say." I took a moment to think and then I felt my face warming up. "I-idiot! T-that's not what I meant!" I grabbed the letter and shoved it at her. I can still hear her giggles as she took the ring and read the letter. Man, she's always making fun of me. I sulked quietly as I looked over the two bags that were in the box. They looked to be simple messenger bags, both being the same brown color. I threw one over at Ava, knowing she would catch it. She could use a new bag anyway.

"There's only one thing that sort of bothers me," she said as she finished reading and slipped on the ring, "what did your grandfather mean by '_return safely from your journey_?'" Yeah, that sort of bothered me as well. The old man also said something about "counting on me." I simply shrugged at her and looked over the items. Huh. I never noticed that before. The silver ring on my right hand had these strange runes etched in red. The ring on my left had the same runes in blue. Looking at the ring around my neck, I noticed that the runes were different on the gold ring than the silver ones on my hands. The bag had some stitched on the sides as well. How odd.

"Hey, Ava! Check out these-" Before I could even comment, the two rings on my hand started to radiate this bright light. The light lashed out at everything. The both of us panicked and Ava ran for cover. I froze when it struck against my rabbits.

"Moka! Kona!" I yelled as I rushed over, not noticing the red and blue runes glowed in tandem. The light struck randomly at several objects lying around the room before make a beeline towards me. The last thing I could remember is the feeling of being shocked by lightning and Ava calling my name.

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><p>"<em><strong>The Spade brings wrath while the Heart brings lust. The Club brings envy and the Diamond follows by bringing greed."<strong>_

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><p>I swear I heard something. Oh well. The only thing that really registers right now is the pain running through every fiber of my being. I can barely open my eyes, nevertheless move my own body. Okay, to recap, the rings that were sent by the old man just zapped my rabbits and then me. Wonderful. Wait, I think I can open my eyes now. Wincing from the brightness, I see a clear blue sky. Wasn't I just inside my apartment with Ava just now?<p>

"Where the heck am I?" I mumbled as I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position. I winced at the pain. Looking around, I can tell that I'm definitely NOT in my apartment right now. The ocean was in front of me and the beach I was lying on was closed in by some cliffs. The beach had a big hill leading up to the cliffs. I get the feeling I know this place. I let out a quiet groan.

"Oh dear. Are you alright?" I heard footsteps coming towards me. I tried to turn around again, ignoring the pain surge. "Try not to move too much, young man. We'll try to get you to a doctor." A man appeared in front of my vision. From what I can see, the man was dressed quite nicely. I wonder if he's the rich type. As he tried to help me up without hurting me any more than necessary, I can hear another two sets of footsteps approaching.

"Father! Where are you?" I looked up towards the top of the hill and saw two people. The younger was the one that called. The younger was a blonde-haired girl, probably around the age of fourteen or fifteen. The other person was a tall, young man with what looked like greenish-black hair and sharp eyes hidden behind a pair of sloping glasses. I found his clothes to be somewhat questionable. I mean, seriously, who would wear golden buttons that resembled poop?

"Ah. Kaya-chan. I'm over here! Kurahadol-san, please come over and help me with this young man." I get the feeling that these two names are very important for some reason. I think that light screwed with my head a little too much.

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><p><strong>A.N.: Hellooo! It's Avalon here this time. Vendiche and I have read quite a few OC fanfics from several fandoms, including One Piece. One thing I notice is that they always start on Luffy's island, Shell Town, Orange Town, some random island where Straw Hats just happen to land or the OC just lands on the ship itself. We haven't seen one starting in Syrup Village so we decided to take a crack at it. We apologize in advance if all the facts aren't completely straight. Also, Vendiche and I will not tolerate flames. Constructive reviews are fine. After, all writers just want to improve and continue to entertain the fans, right?<strong>

**- Vendiche and Avalon **


	2. Log 2: It's Best to Settle in for Now

**A.N.: It's Avalon at the top this time! Anyway, we probably should have said this first chapter, but don't be surprised if we make a few errors here and there. It's bound to happen to the best of writers and it's only the two of us editing. Special thanks to ****murderdollsfangirl**** for being our first reviewer! We definitely weren't expecting all the favoriting and alerts…**

**Disclaimer: Vendiche and Avalon do NOT own One Piece or any other anime (or some other media) that may be mentioned and/or referenced to. No matter how hard we may wish it so. However, we do own the OCs.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: It's Best to Just Settle in For Now<strong>

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><p>I'm currently sitting in some doctor's office right now. The doctor himself was out at the moment, probably talking to that man who found me. It was a bit rough climbing that slope and going into town. Not only because of my constant twitching of the pain (I was actually pretty quiet), but because of who was supporting me through the trip. There's just something off about the other man's aura that sends shivers down my spine. I remember hearing the name Kurahadol. I shook my head… and immediately regretted it. Pressing my hand against my head to ease some of the pain, I looked at the brown messenger bag at my side. That girl, Kaya, was kind enough to carry it during the trip to the doctor. I took a peek at the door and then grabbed the bag. What was so special about this thing? Let me think. The letter the old man sent me said that it was "required" and I noticed the bag itself shared the same runes as the gold ring around my neck. The bag was lightweight and yet I had the feeling that it was far from empty. I was about to undo the tie and open the flap when I heard the door creak.<p>

"Excuse me. Are you feeling a little better?" I looked up and saw the blonde-haired girl peeking in. I kept on a neutral face and nodded politely. I wasn't feeling too bad. The doctor told me that he didn't find anything wrong and then gave me something similar to painkillers. I was to return the next morning so he could check up on things just in case.

"That's good. My father and Kurahadol-san is talking with the doctor at the moment," she said, "I'm glad you're feeling better. My name is Kaya." She smiled at me and gave a little curtsey. I nodded again and slowly sat up so I could face her properly. I was getting that weird feeling again. Something was telling me that I was supposed to know who this girl is.

"Nice to meet you, Kaya-san. My name is Crescent D. Venn," I replied. I didn't notice the door opening and jumped when I heard the doctor speak. "At least we have a name now. How are you feeling, Mr. Crescent?"

"I could've been better. Nothing seems to be a problem right now." I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed my bag, bringing it closer to me. The doctor asked me a few more questions, stating that Kaya's father found me stranded on the beach and was wondering if I had a place to stay. Oh, that's right. I'm currently stuck in some unknown place with only the clothes on my back and the bag at my side. I lied and said that I had no idea how I ended up on beach, much less the island itself; I didn't want to tell them about that light. They told me earlier that I was in a place called Syrup Village on island surrounded by cliffs. I just happened to be found on one of the two slopes going to the village. Apparently, their conversation outside earlier was about this issue. I didn't hear what was being said and looked up in confusion. Huh?

"Would you like to go with us, young man? It seems you don't have a place to stay." I blinked in surprise as Kaya's father offered his own home. It's not often that someone would offer their place to some random person that they just found. Seriously, no one is usually this kind and generous. Then again, I never really got out much. I looked around at the other faces in the room. The doctor seemed like he was encouraging me to go. Kaya looked like she was hoping I'd take the offer, her eyes showing off nothing but goodwill and a little curiosity. Her father was showing the same expression. Wow. These people are so trusting. Aren't they even a little suspicious of me? I couldn't help but stiffen when I looked over at Kurahadol. His face was completely unreadable and that fact scared me for some reason. I told them I couldn't possibly accept. I'll just find a place to stay as well as a job to support myself for the time being. I needed something to do while I'm stuck here. I have to get back home to Ava – I mean, my apartment… I didn't even know what happened to my rabbits. They got hit by that light too.

"Why don't you work for me? We could always use a few more hands back at the mansion." Kaya's father chuckled and placed a hand on Kurahadol's shoulder. "Take Kurahadol, for instance. We only hired him recently since a few of our butlers just retired." I thought for a bit. It did seem kind of rude to refuse and Kaya's father already did a lot for me. He did support my weight the most as we went through town (not that I'm saying I'm fat) and I had a feeling he paid the doctor's bill as well. I paused for bit and nodded, thanking him graciously for the offer.

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><p>Let me tell you now. The mansion is huge. It took me about three hours to get a tour of the place and another for me double-back my way through again to familiarize all the hallways. It was decided that I was going to stay in the servants' quarters. I'll be working part-time in the kitchens and as another butler, under Kurahadol's authority and supervision. Oh. I probably should have stated this at the beginning. When I woke up at my apartment, I had black hair. But when I went to get dressed in my new uniform, I was shocked to find that my hair was now pure white. Luckily, no one was nearby to see or hear me freaking out. I nearly crashed head first into the mirror when I went to go check over my outfit. I still had the same hairstyle as before, just above my shoulders and slightly messy bangs, with black rectangular glasses resting on the end of my nose. I couldn't think of any other explanation. Unless someone decided to dye my hair while I was unconscious. Apparently, that light did more than just send me somewhere far away from home and mess around with my brain.<p>

"Ah. You've finished getting dressed." I turned around and saw one of butlers working at the mansion walking down the hallway towards me; I remember him introducing himself as Merry. "You really should put on the jacket, but I'm sure the Master won't mind too much." I'm not going to lie to you. I almost burst out laughing when I first saw the sheep-like man. Seriously, he was practically a sheep wearing a suit. I kept my face blank, though. I knew it would be rude. Ava would find him adorable if she were here. I was wearing a typical butler's uniform without the jacket: a white long-sleeved buttoned shirt, black tie and vest, and pressed black slacks. I finished the look off with the black boots I wore when I arrived and all three rings in their usual places. I left my other clothes neatly folded right next to my bag on the dresser of my assigned room.

"Hello, Merry-san." I greeted the other man. He led me to the kitchens and introduced me to the chefs. It was now the afternoon and I was told to help prepare a light snack for Kaya. I looked around the kitchen, thinking of what I could make. I managed to convince the others that I would make the snack myself while they made plans for the dinner preparations. Seriously, why do these people give their trust so easily? I shrugged to myself silently and wracked my brain for an idea. Wait. I remember making something for Ava one time. I'm sure the little lady Kaya would like it. It looks like all the ingredients are here. Lucky.

It took me awhile to make it from memory and I'm pretty sure I probably did something wrong, but the others said it was perfect. I grabbed a trolley and laid everything out so I could take it over; there was already a pot of fresh tea on it. I pushed the trolley out the door and passed Kurahadol down the hallway. I nodded politely in greeting and he seemed to do the same. I could feel his eyes still on me when I turned the corner.

"Kaya-ojou-sama. I brought a light snack for you." I knocked on the door and waited until she allowed me to come in. "I made some almond raspberry tarts to go along with your afternoon tea." I presented the tarts to her, all of them a light golden brown with raspberry jam in the middle. It was pretty simple to make and I'm sure it counted as a light snack. My cooking skills are average at best but my specialty is more around desserts. I prefer baking over cooking any day.

"Thank you, Venn-san," she smiled, taking a tart and biting into it. I could tell she liked it as I was pouring her cup of tea; her eyes were lighting up. "Wow. You made this? You don't seem like the type to be baking." Kaya paused and started to apologize for her rudeness. I waved her off and said it was fine. She asked me to sit with her and we talked until it was dinnertime. All I can say it that Kaya is a sweet girl and probably would be what I would want in a little sister. She's kind of young for my tastes, with her being fourteen and me eighteen. Besides, I have Ava…ignore that.

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><p>I could see the sun setting over the horizon as I sat on my bed, looking out the window. I had dinner with the other servants and everyone was so nice. Kurahadol stopped me earlier on the way to my room to tell me about my duties for tomorrow. I said it once and I'll say it again. Something is just not right about that man. I keep feeling the urge to shudder every time he's nearby and I try to suppress it each time. I shook my head and looked over at my bag. I never did get a chance to see what was inside. I grabbed the bag and looked over at it. It would look like an ordinary leather messenger bag if it weren't for those runes. I undid the tie and opened the flap, proceeding to look inside. What the heck? I reached in pulled out a few journals in a variety of colors, an easel, several canvases, paints, an assortment of pens, many books…<p>

"Where is this all coming from!" I kept pulling things out until my bed was entirely covered and I was starting to cover half of the floor. Wait… I heard of these things before. There were these bags that could hold an infinite amount of items, due to this thing called "hammerspace". Or was that hyperspace? Subspace? Anyway, the only on my mind right now is how did the old man get this and why did he give it to me. Oh. Ava has the other one. She'd probably think it was so cool and start stuffing things in there. Like extra food when she goes to the movies. You're probably thinking why am I not having bigger reaction than this, right? Most people would be going nuts over this bag. All I can say is that I'm pretty adaptable and I'd like to say I have a high tolerance for insanity. You'd have to be with my friends; Ava just happens to be the most important out of them…forget what I just said. Wait a minute. I took a good look at the items I pulled out of the bag. A lot of these things were lying around my apartment before I got sent here. I should know because I have tendency mark on my belongings. I made an inventory of what I already pulled out and nearly stepped on one of the books I placed on the floor. I picked it up to go place it on the bed when I got a glimpse of the cover.

"No way. It can't be-" I didn't get a chance to finish as I fell to my knees. My head felt like it was going to explode. Now I remember why Kaya and Kurahadol are so important. I crawled over to bed and leaned against it, keeping my gaze on the book that I dropped in my pain-filled daze.

"One Piece." I mumbled before covering my face with my hands. The manga volume innocently laid there, the face of Monkey D. Luffy grinning back at me. Why did this happen to me? I just got sent to the One Piece world! I sighed and just glared at the thing. I knew that book played a part in my being sent here. Several OP fans dream of entering this world and I remember reading several fanfics of this very situation. I can't believe this would happen to me. Why couldn't this have happened to Ava? She's the One Piece fan! Wait. Then she'd be the one missing… damn. I picked up the book and placed it with the others, a lot of them being regular novels. I sorted everything in separate piles and looked in the bag again. I even went as far as pushing half of my body through the opening. It's pretty roomy in here, actually. I pulled myself out and tried to fix my ruffled hair. I noticed a note on the floor:

_"I see you found out about the bag. Having fun yet? This bag can carry an unlimited amount of items. However, there is a size limit. You may not place anything larger than a vehicle; about a cargo van, I believe. See those runes on the sides. They are the exact same ones as those on your gold ring. That ring connects the bag to the other recipient of the ring, sharing the same items between the both of you. You, the traveler, have a mission to uphold while the other, the supporter, will be connected to you and provide any help along the way. There should be a journal with the same runes. Use that to communicate with each other. Good luck, boy."_

_Head of the Crescent Family_

_P.S. Do not put anything __living__ inside the bag. We are unsure of its safety._

I hate you, old man. I looked around for the journal that was mentioned; there are several around here. I could use those, actually. I'm probably going to have to keep track of everything. Wait a minute. I'm in the One Piece world but it seems like I entered somewhat before the start of the story. Kaya's parents are still alive and the father told me that Kurahadol was just hired recently. How recently, I wasn't sure. I found the rune journal mentioned in the letter. It was the same color as the messenger bag along with the same runes. I set it aside and grabbed a black journal with a combination lock. Setting the combination, I wrote down everything I know about the start of the story; I'm probably going to use this one as a timeline.

"How did Kaya's parents die?" I asked myself. I remembered Ava telling me that no one really knew the cause of death. Kurahadol, in the manga and anime, told Jango that the father's death was an accident. What about the mother? I could still feel that headache from before. I set the black journal aside. I sighed and looked at my hands, gazing at the red and blue rings. That stupid light came from them and zapped me here. My eyes widened and I jumped to my feet. My rabbits! Those rings zapped them too!

"Moka! Kona!" I quickly closed my eyes as the red and blue runes started to glow. Oh crap. It's going to send me somewhere again… Apparently, I was wrong. I was still in the same place. Well, I'm actually now on the floor. I was knocked right off my feet by two weights that collided with my chest. I opened my eyes and saw that there were now two girls in the room. What the heck?

"Master Vasche!" I just stared at the two girls as they called me…what? I shoved them off and backed away. Both girls were dressed in what I would presume would be gothic Lolita style: one girl in white and red while the other was in black and blue. The girl in white and red had white hair, around mid-length and framing her face, and red eyes. She was standing there with her hands on her hips, slightly glaring at me. The other girl in black and blue looked like her twin but with black hair and blue eyes. She looked like she was about to cry and jump me. However, what really caught my attention were the two ribbons around their necks.

"How could you just shove us like that!" I couldn't stop staring, my eyes wide and mouth gaping. "We were waiting for you to summon us, Master." No. Way. My rabbits just became humans!

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><p><strong>AN – And I'm Vendiche here at the bottom. Another chapter has now been posted. Like Avalon said up top, we may be prone to making mistakes. Anyway, this story takes place three years before the Straw Hats even come to the island. Kaya's parents are still alive. We don't know if they're going to stay alive or what the cause of death will be if they don't. Usopp will be making his appearance next chapter. Maybe even the vegetable pirate kids that keep following him around.<strong>

**- Vendiche and Avalon. **


	3. Log 3: Two Rabbits and a Liar

**AN – Vendiche here. The only thing Avalon and I can say is that we're just winging this along as we go. No plan, no pre-writing, minimal editing… Please enjoy what we have to present. Otherwise, just leave.**

**Disclaimer: Vendiche and Avalon do NOT own One Piece or any other anime (or some other media) that may be mentioned and/or referenced to. No matter how hard we may wish it so. However, we do own the OCs.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Two Rabbits and a Liar<strong>

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><p>"Moka? Kona? What the- where did you- huh?" My mind is a little frazzled right now. Please come back in a few minutes after I reboot.<p>

"It's us, Master," said the black-haired girl, sitting herself in front of me. She grabbed and held my hands. "I'm Kona, remember? See the blue ribbon around my neck." I shook my head in bewilderment, nearly giving myself whiplash, and counted to ten as I tried to calm myself down.

"Yeah, Boss! And I'm Moka! You're the one who summoned us here." Kona's white-haired twin said as she lightly tugged at the red ribbon around her neck. I kept looking between the two, trying to understand the fact that these two girls were supposed to be my two pet rabbits. Wait. Summoned? I summoned them here? I gently took my hands out of Kona's and stared at the rings.

"Remember the letter Crescent-sama sent you? '_Everything is set up perfectly,'_" said Moka, moving the books on my bed so she could sit down. "You put on the rings and chose Ava-chan as your partner when you gave her the fourth ring. Once she accepted, the transaction was finalized and it activated the two summoning rings." She pointed to the two rings on my hands, her eyes lingering on the red and blue runes. Kona picked up where she left off and told that since they were the only other living beings in the room at the time, the rings chose them as their avatars. Apparently, I can now summon them whenever I wanted by just calling their names; I remember shouting out after them when that light from before zapped them. This is all the old man's fault.

"Why are you two human?" I asked. I started picking up things and placing them back into the messenger bag. I had to do something instead of just sitting around and gaping with my jaw hanging loose. It helped me calm down and think more clearly.

"To help you with your mission, Master. While you were being 'transferred' to this world, Moka and I were being briefed by Crescent-sama. We were to aid you in the search for the _Fallen Suites_." Kona picked up a deck of cards that were laying next the easel I pulled out the bag from before. She fanned them out and plucked all four of the Aces, holding them up for me to see. "There's the Spade, the Heart, the Club, and the Diamond." I took the four cards from her. These were the four suites used in a deck of cards; thirteen cards for each suit to make a whole deck of fifty-two cards. I remembered how my mother would make up all these stories about the cards when I was younger. She would always focus on the Aces for some reason…

"_The Spade brings wrath while the Heart brings lust. The Club brings envy and the Diamond follows by bringing greed,_" I spoke quietly, staring at the cards with unfocused eyes.

"Yes. How did you know that, Master?" I looked up in confusion to see the Mokona twins staring at me in shock. What? The rabbits were called Moka and Kona so I put them together to make Mokona; plus, I named them both after the little pork-bun rabbit thing in the first place. Oh. Back to the subject. Anyway, all I did was just repeat something I heard from one of my mother's stories. Now that I think about it, I heard those exact words again before I woke up on that beach. Apparently, those were very brief descriptions of the "Fallen Suites." They were supposed be some sort of demonic entities that represent each of the card suites and a particular vice. The old man was expecting the three of us to hunt down these Suites.

"What exactly are we supposed to do when we capture them?" I didn't even know what they looked like but I was told it would be obvious when I saw them. The girls just gave each other secretive looks and told me not to worry about that detail. I already accepted what was happening to me. I probably should be freaking out and wallowing in denial but seriously, what else could I do? I could refuse but then I'd still be stuck here with no way of getting home. No offense to Kaya, Merry, and the others. Kurahadol can just drop dead for all I care. Besides, I assume that if I could finish this mission, then I can return back home and see Ava again. Her part in the mission was to send us information and supplies. Since she was a fan of One Piece (plus she had access to the Internet), she could help us with the all the important little details. She could also help me by sending over medical supplies and food, providing she didn't eat the food herself.

I stuffed everything back into the bag and got ready for bed. This was a lot to take in so we just decided to talk later tomorrow. The girls disappeared in a flash, saying that they would go back into the rings until they were summoned again. They told me I didn't have to worry about them. I shrugged and turned off the light. I had chores to do in the morning.

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><p>"Rise and shine, Venn-san! You have some errands to run. Kurahadol-san is already preparing Kaya-ojou-sama for the day." Ugh. I closed my eyes tight as Merry walked in and open the curtains, shining the sunlight on my face. I did hear the knocking before but I didn't want to move. The only warning I got was the sheep-like man pardoning himself for the intrusion before opening the door and making a beeline for the window. I shooed the man out so I could get dressed in my uniform. I was to pick up a few packages from some of the shops in the village. I made a quick stop at the kitchens and grabbed some toast for myself. Scarfing it down and brushing off the crumbs, I bid the guards a good morning before exiting the gate.<p>

"Let's see. I'm supposed to pick up three packages…" I mumbled quietly to myself, taking a look around the empty streets. I guess some people are still sleeping in. Oh, how I envy them at the moment. Looking at small piece of paper, I read the instructions, stating what I was to retrieve and which stores to go to. I didn't hear the shouting until it was upon me. Literally.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! PIRATES ARE COMING! THE PIRATES ARE-!" I grunted as I got blindsided. My glasses flew off my face and landed a few feet away. Hello, ground. It's good to see you again. I was on my back with a smaller body on top of me. I sat up and pushed off the person, staring at them with a blank look.

"Agh! Sorry about that- Wait. Who are you?" Wow. He's a lot shorter now. Then again, I'm currently stuck three years before the main story. I suppose that would make him around fifteen…

"USOPP! YOU LIAR! JUST WAIT 'TIL WE GET OUR HANDS ON YOU!" The long-nosed kid jumped and ran off down the street, laughing his head off. I shook my head and got up, brushing the dirt off my uniform. I walked over and picked up my glasses, pushing them up on my nose. Kurahadol has a weird way of pushing up his glasses, with the palm of his hand no less, and I guess I'm no different. The way I usually push up my glasses is the way you would go about wiping away a tear. Sometimes I would even go through the same motion when I wasn't wearing my glasses. I resent the fact that we may have anything in common.

"Are you alright, young man?" I noticed that the streets were starting to fill up a bit, some people chasing after the kid and the rest just going about their business. "That little brat is Usopp. He's always running through the village, screaming about pirates." The man talking to me sighed and asked me what I was doing here. I told him that I was just hired as a butler at the mansion just yesterday and I was currently doing errands. He nodded and pointed out where I should go. Seriously, these people are so trusting. I thanked the man and went off on my way. I couldn't help but look off in the direction I saw the village liar run off in.

I figured the packages could wait a few minutes. I jogged my way over to the woods and slowed down as I was walking through. I closed my eyes and smiled, letting the slight breeze ruffle my hair. I always found foresty areas to be soothing. I stopped when I heard laughter. I stepped lightly, not making a sound, and came upon a trio of some of the strangest kids I've ever seen. Looks like I found the vegetable kids. They really did look like their namesakes.

"Haha! Awesome, Captain!"

"Yes! I, the Great Captain Usopp, have done it again!"

"Yeah, but who was the ojiisan you ran into earlier?"

"Y' know, the one with the white hair? He looked like one of the butlers from the mansion."

I kept my face blank but I could still feel my eye twitch. Just because I now have white hair doesn't make me an old man! I walked away from the tree I was hiding behind and quietly made my way towards them. Since they were still little kids, probably around six, I couldn't really hurt them. It doesn't mean I can't give them a bit of a scare, though.

"I'll have you know that I'm not an old man. I'm only eighteen." I said, calmly. I won't deny the fact that I enjoyed the way they all jumped. The veggie kids screamed and huddled together behind Usopp, the self-acclaimed "Captain" shaking like a leaf. I stared at the four kids with a neutral face and merely raised an eyebrow when they pushed their captain forward. I waited patiently for the younger teen to gather his composure before he puffed out his chest.

"Aha! I see you have come to face the Great Captain Usopp! If you don't surrender, you'll have to face my two-thousand men!" the long-nosed teen yelled, pointing up at the sky and striking a pose. The other three cheered behind him and I just shook my head in exasperation. I didn't mind Usopp in the anime and manga. He was kind of funny in a way and I liked how he gathered the courage to face Kurahadol during that part of the story.

"I'm just wondering if you usually crash into people during your pirate runs, _Captain._" I stared at him as he seemed to freeze and then bow in apology once he realized that I wasn't going to chase after him. I waved the boy off and pushed up my glasses, going through the motion of wiping away tears.

"Oh! You push up your glasses in a weird way like that other butler. Are you two related?" asked one of the vegetable kids, the one resembling a pepper. I gave him a deadpanned look. Me and Kurahadol related? The kid couldn't be talking about any other butler since it seems only the two of us wear glasses.

"No."

"Anyway, who are you? I've never seen you around here before." The boy resembling a carrot spoke up, the onion boy nodding alongside him.

"I just arrived on the island yesterday and was hired to work at the mansion." I spoke of my duties to Kaya's family when I just remembered about my errands. I bid the kids farewell and hurried over to the village. The kids don't seem so bad. I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other.

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><p>The rest of the day went by without much incident. Kurahadol chewed me out when I arrived a bit later with the packages. I prepared the afternoon snack and tea for Kaya as we had another chat in her room. Her mother had joined us earlier and all I can say is that now I know where Kaya got her looks from. Dinner with the other servants was pretty much uneventful except some of the workers snorted when I told them about my run-in with the "Usopp Pirates." I passed by Merry in the hallways and bid him a good night after telling him a bit of my day. Making my way to my room, I locked the door and made sure the window were shut with the curtains drawn closed.<p>

"Moka. Kona." I squinted a bit at the light as the two girls appeared before me. Much better than the first summoning, I'll say.

"Master, my sister and I aren't the only things that can be summoned." I blinked in surprise as Kona explained further about the rings. "Crescent-sama told us that two other items were registered to those rings. The one assigned to Moka's ring is the _Cogitationis Librum_ while my ring has the _Sapientiae Librum_. However, you can only summon these when we're inside our rings. Try summoning the _Cogitationis Librum_ first." I nodded and looked over at Moka who huffed a bit before disappearing in a flash.

"_Cogitationis librum_." I said before a bright red book appeared in my hands. The cover was laced with silver with the name of the book written in flowing script on the front. I looked at the book in confusion. Now that I think about it, I remember that 'librum' means 'book' so I guess that the items were supposed to be…books. I know I'm a bit of a bookworm but, seriously? Kona gestured for me to open it and I undid the silver clasp, leafing through the pages of the book. What the heck? The pages are empty.

"Think of a person and state their name." I followed the girl's instructions and thought of Kaya. I called out her name and was startled when several words started appearing on the pages. Wait. Are these her…_**thoughts**_?

'_Today was a nice day. I wish Kurahadol wasn't so strict but I know he's a nice man deep down. My parents trust him completely and so do I. I would have loved to go outside since the weather was so nice but I had to finish my lessons. Oh! Venn-san's snacks were delicious again today! I'm happy Mother was able to join us. I wish-'_

I closed the book and looked over at Kona, my face shocked while hers was calm. She told me that _Cogitationis Librum_ was Latin for 'Book of Thought.' Oh! This is just like the book that Miyazaki Nodoka from Mahou Sensei Negima has! Kona nodded at me and suggest that I try to summon her book next. I de-summoned the Cogitationis and waited for Kona to disappear. I was about to summon the Sapientiae but fell back in surprise when Moka suddenly appeared.

"Hm? Sorry about that, Boss. Me and Kona can appear without having you summon us all the time. We just can't come when our books are out at the same time." I scowled at her sudden appearance and nodded at the explanation. I like sneaking up on people but I can't say the same for when someone manages to startle me.

"_Sapientiae librum."_ Just like before, a book appeared in my hands. This one looked exactly like the Cogitationis but was blue and silver instead. Moka explained that _Sapientiae Librum_ meant 'Book of Wisdom' and was similar to that of several encyclopedias crammed together in one book. This book could give me information about almost anything, including the One Piece world. Information about islands, customs, pirate crews, bounties… I just couldn't look up any personal details, like birthdays. Whoa. I could look information on the World Government. As they say, knowledge is power. And such information can get me killed... I shuddered as I de-summoned the book and Kona appeared again.

"Anyway, Boss, why don't you try contacting Ava-chan?" Moka said, grabbing my 'hammerspace' messenger bag and tossed it over. I caught it and stared. Ava. I wonder what she could be doing right now. I've only been gone for a day but who knows how she reacted after my disappearance. I remember her calling out to me before I passed out. I opened the flap and reached it, mentally thinking about the rune journal. I jumped when said journal shot into my hand. I pulled it out and just looked at it. I pulled out a pen as well and flipped through the empty pages. I leaned against the headboard of my bed and thought for a moment. I could feel Kona curling up next to me and heard Moka shifting through my bag. I blinked when I saw her pull out a crate of carrots, munching on some as she handed a few to her sister. Where did those come from? I shook my head and began to write:

_Dear Ava, _

_You'll never believe this. I'm currently in the One Piece world right now. I'm not lying. The old man sent me here on a mission and you are to be my partner. Remember that ring I gave you along with the messenger bag? I'm pretty sure you've already started looking through the thing already. I hope you find this journal soon and reply back. I could use some insight about my situation right now. I'm in Syrup Village with Usopp, Kaya, and everyone. However, it seems like I'm three years before Luffy and the others arrive. Kaya's parents are still alive._

_Vasche_

_P.S. Kurahadol is here as well. He was just recently hired by Kaya's father._

I closed the journal and handed it to Moka who placed it back into the bag. Moka gave me a salute and Kona hugged me before the two disappeared back in to the rings. I prepared for bed and laid my uniform on a nearby chair. I looked up at the ceiling and thought about several things. I thought about the mission to hunt the Fallen Suites and how the Mokona twins were supposed to help me. That glint in their eyes from when I asked about what we were supposed to do with the demons didn't reassure me at all. I'm not a fighter. I'm more of a supporter. I'm the fastest and most agile of my class but I don't exactly have the strength to fight. What were the twins supposed to do? I also thought about Ava and how she'll respond to my situation. There was also the fact that Kaya's parents were supposed to die while Luffy and his crew would be coming in three years.

I sighed to myself. This is going to be a rough journey. I hope I can return home safely.

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><p><strong>A.N.: Whoo! Another chapter done. It's Avalon here. I'm going to talk a bit about Vasche and his rings:<strong>

**1) His right hand has the ring with red runes. This ring summons Moka and Cogitationis Librum, the 'Book of Thought.' This book works similar to Miyazaki Nodoka's artifact from Mahou Sensei Negima. **

**2) His left hand has the ring with blue runes. This one summons Kona and Sapientiae Librum, the 'Book of Wisdom.' This book is also similar to another book from Mahou Sensei Negima, Ayase Yue's artifact to be exact.**

**3) If you played Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny, you'll know that Vasche and Ava's gold rings work exactly the same way as the Share rings in the game.**

**Thanks for reading our story. Please leave a review when you can. It makes me happy. It also makes Vendiche happy but he doesn't really care about it much.**

**- Vendiche and Avalon**


	4. Log 4: I'm a Moon Rabbit?

**A.N.: Avalon, reporting for duty! 'Sup, people? Another chapter for your viewing pleasure is here! As you can tell already, most of this story is gonna be in Vasche's POV unless we really need to switch it to someone else's. I'd like to thank the reviewers: **murderdollsfangirl**, **Ophelie deCanards**, and **SenseiSai**.**

**Disclaimer: If you don't already have the gist of it, I seriously worry for you…**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: I'm a Moon Rabbit?<strong>

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><p>I can tell it's already morning by the fact the sunlight is shining through a crack in the curtains. There's also the knocking on my door with Merry cheerfully calling me to wake up. I sighed and tried to sit up… The keyword is <em>tried<em>. I just now noticed that there seemed to be something, or someone, lying on top of me. I opened my eyes and yelped when I saw Kona sleeping, curled up on top of my chest.

"Venn-san? Is something wrong?" Merry called from behind my door. I quickly yelled back that everything was fine while shaking the black-haired girl awake.

"Kona! What are you doing! You can't just sleep in my bed! You're not a little rabbit anymore!" I hissed as quietly as possible as she blinked sleepily at me. Back in my apartment, sometimes my rabbits would sleep next to me; most of the time, it was Kona. I gently, but hastily, pushed her off me and urged her to go back into her ring. I prayed that the sheep-like man doesn't barge in here again like yesterday. The black rabbit-turned-girl nodded sadly and complied, disappearing in a flash. Good grief.

"There's nothing to worry about, Merry-san! I'll be ready in a few minutes!" I yelled as I got out of bed and proceeded to dress in my uniform.

"… Alright, then. You'll be taking the Mistress and Kaya-ojou-sama and out today so be sure to eat breakfast." Merry called before leaving. I waited for a bit until I couldn't hear his footsteps anymore. I went to my bag and pulled out the rune journal, hoping that Ava might've replied back to me. I couldn't help but grin when I found that I was right. I sat on my bed as I read her reply on the next page:

_Vasche!_

_I'm so glad you're alright! I was totally freaking out when that light hit you and you just suddenly vanished. I heard about your mission from your grandfather. He came to your apartment just a few minutes after you disappeared. He told me everything and asked me to take care of your apartment. Sort of like a "base of operations" deal. I can't believe you're in the One Piece world! Lucky! Anyway, about the Kurahadol situation, I think the only thing you can do is keep an eye on him. As much as I want to change everything and kick his ass right now, I know that you'll probably just leave it alone. I know you, Vasche. You won't interfere unless it was really necessary. Keep me posted in case anything major happens._

_Ava_

_P.S. The bag is freaking cool! I also sent you a list of the things I packed you in case of emergency._

_P.S.S I found that black journal with the combination lock and broke into it. I filled in most of the East Blue Saga for you._

I'm grateful that the old man told Ava about what was happening. I'm also pissed at him for sending me here in the first place. I looked at a piece of paper that was attached to the page, reading off the list of what Ava packed. Perfect. She sent over some spare clothes and a fully-packed first-aid kit among a few other items on the list. I nodded in satisfaction and placed the journal back in the bag. I reached in and looked took out the black timeline journal. I made the combination easy on purpose since I knew Ava was going to pry it open eventually. Hmm. It looks like she outlined the most important events. I put the journal away and left my room, making my way towards the kitchens for some breakfast.

"Crescent D. Venn… I would like a word with you." I froze and slowly turned my head around. Kurahadol stared at me with his piercing gaze. I stiffly nodded as I turned completely to face him properly. The man pushed up his sloping glasses with the palm of his hand.

"I would watch my step very carefully if I were you. The Master and his family seem to trust you already, despite finding you yesterday, early in the morning." I tensed up even more, if that were possible, when I noticed a strange glint in his eyes. He continued to stare at me for a few more minutes before walking towards and past me.

"No offense, but I can't help but think of _prey_ when I look at you. Step lightly now." I remained where I was until I heard him disappear around the corner. I nearly collapsed onto my knees. I think I'm going to skip breakfast.

I shivered as I walked towards the corridor where Kaya's room was. I knocked and waited patiently until I heard Kaya saying she was finished getting dressed. I opened the door and the first thing I noticed was a tray of food lying next to her bed. I guess someone, I bet Kurahadol, brought her morning meal earlier. Either that or I woke up a little later than I was supposed to.

"Is something wrong, Venn-san? You seem a little skittish," Kaya said. I told her it was nothing and that I just had a run-in with Kurahadol.

"I apologize for my rudeness but the man is quite intimidating," I said as I watched her eat. "He has this piercing stare and seems to stalk the hallways like sort of… predator." Kaya paused and looked at me before she started to giggle.

"Oh, Venn-san. You make it as if Kurahadol-san was a cat. Now that I think about it… If I were to place you two as animals, I would say that he would be a cat and you would be a rabbit." You have no idea, Kaya… Wait. Rabbit? I presume she was giggling at the look of confusion on face. How am I like a rabbit? She couldn't give me an explanation and just said it was just the impression she received when she saw the both of us standing together in the same room. I shook my head and waited for her to finish eating.

Every day was pretty much the same after that. Merry would come to wake me up every morning and then I would read Ava's reply in the rune journal; I would write to her at night. It would vary a bit each time then. I would either run errands in the village or take Kaya out for a walk before her lessons. Sometimes her father or mother would join us. I still avoided Kurahadol as much as possible. After that, I had some free time and would spend it with Usopp and his veggie pirate crew. I almost felt like a babysitter sometimes when I was with them. I would then come back to the mansion and fix Kaya an afternoon snack and have our daily talks together. Then I would help in the kitchens when dinner came and spend the rest of the night in my room, talking to the Mokona twins and writing to Ava.

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><p>"Hey, Vasche! What are you doing?" I looked up from the journal I was writing in, this one being a dark brown color. It was nearing mid-autumn here in Syrup Village and I was spending one of my off-days with Usopp and the kids. I was wearing my usual black ensemble with my sleeveless panda hoodie. My relationship with the Usopp Pirates has already gotten to the point where I'd let them use my nickname.<p>

"Hm? I was just writing down _Captain Usopp's_ adventures," I said, showing them the pages and a few drawings. I'm not sure if anyone knows this but Usopp's stories eventually DO come true. At least, that's what I notice when I was watching a few episodes of One Piece with Ava.

"Cool! Can we see?" Piiman asked, Ninjin and Tamanegi clamoring in to take a peek. I gave the book to the kids to look over as I looked up at the sky. It was going to be a full moon tonight. You see, ever since I arrived here in the One Piece world and even back then in my apartment, I would always sit outside and gaze at the moon. I started moon-viewing when my mom was alive and told me that I was born on the night of a full moon. She would always make me _mochi_, pounded rice cakes, every time the full moon was out and the tradition continued with my friends back at home. We'd just sit there gazing up at the moon and having a little night picnic. I wish I had some mochi for the moon tonight.

"Vasche, what's mochi? And why would you need it for the moon?" I blinked. Apparently, I spoke out loud. I turned my head and found Usopp staring at me, waiting for my answer. I shrugged and told him about my little tradition.

"How about I tell you a story of my own?" I asked. The long-nosed teen nodded and called the others over. "Have you ever heard of the Rabbit in the Moon? You see, I'm not exactly from around here and where I'm from, people believed there were rabbits on the moon. The rabbit would pound mochi in a mortar with a big hammer. In some other stories, the rabbit would be mixing medicine." The kids asked me why there would be rabbits on the moon and I would tell them the different stories: like how a rabbit sacrificed himself to feed a poor man and the man was touched at the offering, turning into a god and bringing the rabbit back to life so it could live with him in his palace on the moon. I told them I didn't really know why the rabbit pounded mochi. I waved at them as the kids left for home. I didn't expect Usopp to stay behind, though.

"Y' know, Vasche, I never told you this before but there was a full moon on the night before you arrived here in Syrup." He said, as he picked up my journal and leafed through it. "The odd thing was that when I was looking up at it, the moon almost seemed to be glowing. More than usual, I mean. I could've sworn I saw a bright light flash up in the sky at the time. I didn't really think much about it until you told me about the whole moon rabbit thing."

I gave him a blank look but I could tell he knew I was confused. Where was he going with this? He couldn't possibly think that I –

"Vasche, I know you're going to think I'm stupid for asking this but…are you one of the Moon Rabbits? I mean, no one really know where you came from." Apparently, he did think that. I just face-palmed and shook my head in exasperation. He thinks I'm a moon rabbit.

"Oh, yes. How did you know? I thought I kept it a secret," I deadpanned, looking at him with half-lidded eyes. Either Usopp didn't notice the sarcasm or he was ignoring it. He nodded and reassured me that he would keep everything a secret before running off. Where did he get the idea that I could be a moon rabbit? I sighed and placed the story journal back in my bag, which I brought with me. I didn't want to leave it anywhere since that time with Kurahadol.

"He he! He thought you were a moon rabbit, Boss!" I jumped as Moka and Kona appeared in front of me with a flash. I fell off the stump I was sitting on and scowled at the white-haired girl. She just gave me a wide grin as her sister helped me up.

"What are you two doing here? Anyone can come and see us at any moment." I rubbed the back of my head, waiting for an answer.

"Please forgive us, Master, but Crescent-sama contacted us and wants us to tell you more about your abilities to help you hunt the Suites. When you were transferred, the process woke up what you would call Haki inside of you. Kenbushoku Haki, to be exact. Moka and I are supposed to help you train your Haki as well as instruct you in _Lunar Step_," Kona said.

"Lunar Step?" I questioned. I heard enough about Haki from Ava but I felt that I've heard of this Lunar Step before. Kona began to explain the concept behind it, saying that Lunar Step allowed the user to jump in mid-air. It can help a person cross great distances without touching the ground. Oh wait! I heard of this before! This was like one of the Rokushiki skills, Geppo. The only difference was that, unlike Geppo, I could also propel myself in the air with my hands in the event I couldn't jump with my feet.

"Yup! We're gonna help you practice Lunar Step and your Haki later on. You'll have to be ready in three years," Moka said, "we got word that not only will the Straw Hats arrive in that time but also the first suit will be making its appearance."

"You never told me everything about the Fallen Suites." I sat back on the stump and took out a separate journal, this one being white with black and red stripes. What? My bag has a lot of journals in it and I like to write. I need to if I want to keep track of what was currently happening. The Mokona twins told me everything they knew. Just like there were fifty-two cards in a deck, minus the Joker, there were also fifty-two Suites to hunt. I expressed my irritation at having to hunt them all. Seriously? I have to hunt all of them?

"No, Master. The Number Suites, from two to ten, of the four factions have already been contained. However… The Kings, Queens, and Jacks are still roaming around and are considered the most dangerous of the Suites." Kona tried to reassure me. Sorry, dear, but it's not working.

"There are also the Aces you have to worry about… but we'll tell you about them another time. Why don't you head back to the mansion, Boss? Crescent-sama and Ava-chan sent you something for the moon festivities."

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><p>My head is still reeling from all that information. There's also the fact that the Mokona twins had me start training in the Lunar Step earlier. They told me that I was to gather my 'energy' into my legs and just jump; I was practicing in the back gardens. Luckily, no one was around to see me try. Correction. Almost no one. You see, what happened was that when I tried to leap into the air after gathering the energy in my legs, I lost control of my trajectory and ended up sailing through one of the windows. The good news was that it was open so I didn't break the glass. The bad news was that I landed in the upstairs hallway where Kaya's bedroom was… as she and Merry were exiting the room. How am I supposed to explain this? I had to beg them not to tell a soul. I even offered to tell them about my moon-viewing tradition and have them join.<p>

I shook my head and decided to focus more on the full moon tonight; the sun was already beginning to set over the horizon. I made my way back to the gardens of the mansion, my bag hanging from my shoulder. I was to arrive here earlier and set everything up. The twins told me that Ava asked the old man to send me the supplies for making mochi: the wooden mortar and hammer, the ingredients, and all the other items that were needed. She even sent over some cushions to sit on. I pulled everything out of the bag and set it up. I had just set up the dough in the mortar when Merry and Kaya arrived. The sun has gone down and moon was beginning to rise.

"Great. You're here. I'm going to need your help, Merry-san." I told the sheep-like man that he was to knead the dough, alternating with me as I pounded it with the hammer. I showed him all the tools and the process to making the mochi. He looked nervous as I reassured him that I wasn't going to hit his hand. Kaya watched us as she sat upon the cushions.

"Venn-san. Why do you make this mochi every time there is a full moon?" she asked as Merry flipped the rice dough. I waited for him to move his hand before swinging the hammer. I told Kaya exactly what I told Usopp earlier and that it was something my friends and family did for me back home. Merry and I continued on the rice dough until the first batch was done. We had had Kaya try it first.

"How is it?" I asked, molding some mochi for myself after showing Merry what to do.

"It's good! Very chewy." She started to giggle. "Venn-san. It's almost as if you were the one of the rabbits on the moon yourself." I nearly hit Merry when I swung the hammer again. Apologizing profusely to the older man, I asked her where she got that idea. Usopp thought I was a moon rabbit too. She just smiled at me and continued to eat her snack as she looked up at the moon.

Merry and Kaya thanked me for letting them join in the moon-viewing and promised not to tell anyone about me jumping through the window. We all left for bed after I told them that I would clean everything up. I made my way to my room, dodging Kurahadol in the hallways. I sat on my bed and took out the rune journal, planning to write to Ava again. I looked up briefly when Moka and Kona appeared to eat some of the mochi I brought up. Merry and I made a lot. I looked back down at the page I was writing in:

_Dear Ava,_

_Thanks for sending over the supplies for the moon-viewing. Merry and Kaya joined me in making the mochi. The Mokona twins are going to be helping me train my Haki and teaching me Lunar Step. When I tried the Lunar Step, I ended sailing through one of the windows. You can stop laughing now. Could you send me more information on Kenbunshoku Haki? Apparently, when I got "transferred" here, the trip over awoke my own._

_Vasche_

I closed the journal and bid the two girls good night as I got ready for bed. With a salute and a hug, they disappeared. I looked over at the leftover mochi. There was still quite a bit left. I shrugged my shoulders and put the food away in a container, storing it in my bag.

"I guess I'll just give the rest to Usopp and the others."

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><p><strong>AN – Vendiche here. Looks like we got a few more reviews. To answer <strong>SenseiSai**, Avalon and I would first like to thank you for the praises. We won't be needing any extra OCs at the moment but when we do, we'll put up a template later on in the story. **

**If you have any other questions, please feel free to review our story or send a PM. I'm the one who usually handles this account but Avalon will answer every once in awhile. Another note: Luffy and the others will either appear in the next chapter or the one after that.**

**- Vendiche and Avalon**


	5. Log 5: Despair and a Friend's Comfort

**AN – Vendiche here. From what you've seen so far, you should know by now that Avalon and I will be switching positions from the top and the bottom every chapter. Any questions asked will be answered at the bottom. I'm trying to keep track of what's happening as much as possible. The last thing we need is some detail that doesn't fit and everything gets messed up.**

**Disclaimer: Any works that are mentioned and/or referenced to belong to their original creators. The only things we own are the OCs and the laptop that is being used to type this.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Imminent Despair and the Comfort of a Friend<strong>

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><p>I knew this was going to happen eventually…but I guess I was a little naïve and careless.<p>

It has been over a year and a half since I 'transferred' into the One Piece world and settled in Syrup Village on Gecko Island. That makes me twenty-years-old now. Everyone is so very trusting and friendly. It would be so easy to take advantage of them… I suppose it was that peaceful aura that surrounded the village. It affected me to the point where I was taken advantage of as well. I suppose you're wondering what I'm talking about. I'll admit that I forgot _**that**_ was going to happen…

I don't know what it was but I just suddenly sat up that morning. I had the strangest feeling that something was going to happen today but I couldn't think of anything at the top of my head. I didn't know if this feeling was going to be good or bad, but I knew one thing for sure. It was going to change life around here. I jumped when I heard the knocking on my door. Huh. It looks like I got up before Merry came.

"Venn-san. Are you awake yet? You and I are going to spend the day with Kaya-ojou-sama," Merry called out from behind my door. I yelled back in confirmation as I fixed my bed and pulled my uniform from the closet. I had just finished fixing my tie when the sheep-like man opened the door.

"Good morning, Merry-san," I greeted him, "Is there any particular reason for today? Not that I don't like spending time with Jou-chan, but this doesn't usually happen unless the Master and his wife are going out." Ever since that one time Merry and Kaya joined me in moon-viewing, I had gotten closer to the little miss and the sheep butler. Every once in awhile, the two would join me in making mochi as we looked up at the full moon. All the other times I would go to the woods and meet up with Usopp; he would make the rice cakes with me, which he then gave to the veggie kids in the morning. Hey. The kids were still too young to be staying up that late and I'm pretty sure their mothers would kill me if they did come in the middle of the night. They barely tolerated Usopp, especially with his pirate runs, and I don't want any trouble.

"Yes. The Master and Kurahadol-san will be taking a short trip around the island. He asked us to take care of Kaya-ojou-sama today since the Mistress is feeling a little bit under the weather lately," Merry said as we walked down the corridors of the mansion. Oh. That's right. It was pretty strange how Kaya's mother just fell ill all of a sudden. She was all fine one day and then she started feeling a little weak a few days afterwards. It wasn't so bad before but now the lady has been getting a lot more of these dizzy spells recently. No one really knows what's going on. Last I heard from the chefs was that she was going to stay bedridden for quite some time. We made our way to the foyer where we saw Kurahadol helping Kaya's father with his coat.

"Ah. Merry-san. Venn-san. I trust you'll take good care of Kaya-chan for me, all right? We'll be back late in the afternoon, if not before dinner," the man cheerfully said as he and Kurahadol walked past the guards and exited the front gate. Merry and I bowed before the man and waved as they disappeared from our view. Merry chuckled when I let out a shiver.

"Still can't be in the same room as Kurahadol-san? I don't see why you're so jumpy around the man, Venn-san. He may be a little strict but he isn't the Head Butler for nothing. He's a nice man deep down," he said. I don't care. The man is still creepy in my opinion. He's already made a good reputation for himself in the village people's eye but the only people he didn't fool were Usopp and his kid pirate crew. I told the long-nosed kid, now sixteen, about how the man's aura was disturbing and he admitted that he trusted my judgment. There was one time where Kurahadol nearly caught me when I was practicing Lunar Step with the Mokona twins in the back gardens; we decided to do this at night. I had to jump all the way to the roof so that he wouldn't see me. Luckily, the two girls disappeared back into their rings. I somewhat "tripped" in mid-air and landed on head first, which left an imprint of my glasses in my face the next morning. I still haven't gotten back at Usopp for laughing at me yet…

"You go on ahead and wake up Kaya-ojou-sama. I'll get breakfast from the kitchens in a few minutes," Merry called to me as he went down the hall and turned the corner. I made my way up to Kaya's bedroom and knocked on the door. I was about to call out when-

"Come in." I paused a bit when I heard her voice. It seemed a little more subdued than normal. I opened the door and entered.

"Good morning, Jou-chan. Are you feeling all right?" I asked the sixteen-year old girl. She nodded at me as she looked back outside where she was sitting by the window.

"You're worried about your mother, aren't you?" I saw her tense up before nodding again. It was understandable that she would be. This hasn't gotten out to the village yet but these dizzy spells were actually starting to get worse. It was during one of the usual afternoon tea times I had with Kaya and her mother decided to join us that day.

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><p><em>I was pouring tea for the little miss as she happily took a bite out of the tarts I made for her; they were the same almond raspberry tarts I made for her on my first day working at the mansion. I was just about to sit down on a nearby chair when I heard a soft knocking. Kaya nodded to me and I made my way to the door. I blinked as I opened it to reveal the mistress of the house, Kaya's mother.<em>

"_Hello, dear. May I join you for this afternoon?" she asked as she smiled at me. _

"_Oh, Mother. Do you really need to ask? Please come in. Venn-san made these wonderful snacks again today," Kaya said as I let her mother in and pulled out a chair for her. I poured a cup for the mistress and sat to the side, politely answering whenever the chat was directed at me._

"_Kaya, dear, I'm afraid I should to tell you –" the woman paused as she was bringing the teacup to her lips. Kaya and I looked at her in confusion. I knew something was wrong when the cup fell from her hands. I barely stood up in time to catch the lady before she joined the spilt tea on the floor._

"_Mother! Venn-san, go get my father and Merry-san! I'll call the doctor!" Kaya cried out in panic as I carefully laid her mother on her bed before rushing out into the hall._

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><p>"She's getting worse. The doctor hasn't any clue on what's wrong…" Kaya said as she turned towards me. I could offer her my condolences but it would just seem like empty words. I was never too good at comforting someone. I exited the room to let her get dressed before escorting her to the kitchens. We met Merry along the way, who was carting a trolley carrying food. He thought that it might be a good idea to eat outside since the weather was pretty nice today. I frowned up at the sky. I still couldn't help but think that something was going to happen.<p>

"Kaya-ojou-sama, is there anything you'd like to do? Your father has entrusted Venn-san and I to keep you company while he's out for the day," said Merry. Kaya thought for bit as she put her fork down on her plate. I honestly couldn't place what kind of breakfast she was eating.

"I'd like to do something for Mother. She's all alone in bed right now and I want to cheer her up."

"Splendid, Ojou-sama! How about we get a bouquet of her favorite flowers? The mistress always liked flowers in her bedroom." I watched Merry and Kaya continue their conversation. All this talk about Kaya's mother was starting to make me think of my own. The memories were already buried deep but I was starting to feel hollow. I wish Ava was here with me. She was the one that usually kept the hollowness away… I blinked when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Merry staring at me; I could see that he was worried.

"Are you alright, Venn-san? You weren't responding." I apologized to the man, trying to wave off his concern. I told them that there was nothing wrong and left it at that. We decided to go into town and pick up some flowers at the market. There was supposed to be a new shipment of goods that just came in a few days ago. I just stood to the side as Merry and Kaya browsed through the stores, giving a polite nod to those who greeted us.

I've heard the gossip around town about not only Kurahadol but also about myself. The villagers think that Kurahadol was a wonderful man who always kept everything in order and made sure that every single detail was taken care of; they made him out to be as immaculate and professional. I heard from Usopp that I was seen as a quiet but well-mannered young man. I had no idea any one was watching me during my errands but I actually practiced a little Lunar Step as I was walking. Apparently, I was seen as being light and quick on my feet, covering several feet in just a few hops and skips. No one really thought much of it but this just solidified the long-nosed teen's belief that I truly was a moon rabbit. The veggie kids even started to call me "Moon Rabbit Vasche" ever since Usopp brought it up during one of our get-togethers. I could have said something but decided not to since they were just having fun. However, I was not amused when they tried to feed me carrots.

"Hey Vasche!" I glanced over the crowd and noticed the veggie kids running up to me.

"Wanna go with us to see the Captain? We're supposed to meet up in the woods," Piiman asked, the pepper kid holding a satchel over his shoulder. I looked over the three eight-year-olds and noticed that they were all carrying satchels. I declined, telling them I was spending the day with Merry and Kaya. They became a little nervous when I asked what was in the bags. I shook my head when they ran off after trying to divert my attention somewhere else.

"Venn-san! We have what we need. Merry-san, may we have our lunch in the gardens?" Kaya asked, a bouquet of yellow daisies and sunflowers in her arms. I almost jumped when they just appeared behind me. Merry had no objections and asked me to watch over Kaya. He would go on ahead and address the chefs at the mansion.

"Are these your mother's favorite flowers, Jou-chan?" I asked the little miss as we slowly made our way back. Kaya happily nodded and told me their meanings; the daisies meant "gentleness and innocence" while the sunflowers meant "devotion."

"We also put in some fennel and baby's breath. They stand for 'strength' and 'happiness' in that order." I couldn't help but smile at Kaya as she pointed out each flower. We met up with Merry at the gate. He told us that lunch will be served soon so I went up with Kaya to present the bouquet to her mother. I couldn't help but notice that the corridors seemed a little darker than usual. I stayed by the door as Kaya carefully placed the flowers on the table next to the bed. Her mother appeared to be sleeping at the moment so we left as quietly as possible. We barely passed the foyer when I saw Kurahadol approached the gates from the window. The man looked a little frazzled and I couldn't help but notice that he was alone. All of a sudden, I felt a sense of foreboding.

"Kaya-ojou-sama. I'm afraid I have some terrible news," Kurahadol said as he came through the front doors. His uniform was disheveled but I noticed that his golden-poop buttons still shined. "Your father won't be returning home… I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about, Kurahadol-san? Of course, he's coming home. But why isn't he with you now? And why is your uniform in disarray?" Kaya asked, confusion filling her face. The man just pushed up his glasses with his palm and gave her this _pitying_ look. I couldn't help but wince as I recognized the emotions that came across her face. Disbelief...denial … a desperate hope that he didn't mean what he was implying. Seriously, her father was just here this morning. Then all of a sudden, he's gone?

"Ah. Kurahadol-san, you came back. You are rather- Good Heavens! What happened to you! Where is the Master?" I looked over as Merry rushed down the hall towards us.

"Merry-san, I need to discuss something urgent with you in private. Venn-san, take Kaya-ojou-sama up to her room." Kurahadol said, straightening his jacket.

"Yes, sir." I kept my face neutral as I guided the young girl up the stairs. I glanced at Kaya's face but her expression remained blank. I opened the door to her room and directed her to the bed. I told her to stay here for now and I'd try to bring her any news I could get on her father. I quietly made my way through the corridors as fast as I could. I quickly hid behind the corner when I came upon Merry and Kurahadol talking down the hall. I strained my ears to hear what they were saying.

"Kurahadol-san! What happened to you and the Master?" asked Merry, looking distraught.

"I apologize for being too frank with you but… the Master is _**dead**_." Kurahadol gave the sheep-like man a stony look. Merry's eyes widened as he stiffened before hurriedly asking if the man was lying. "It was an accident. Everything happened so suddenly that I'm afraid I wasn't able to do much of anything to help."

Bullshit. I softly growled at his words. I completely forgot about Kaya's parents. I completely forgot that they were going to die. I knew this was going to happen but I let my guard down with all the peace surrounding the village. I remembered Ava telling me that the parents' death, or at least the father's, was _accidental_. If only I could figure out what really happened… Oh! I can't believe I forgot about that. I looked at the ring on my right hand, staring at the red runes etched in the band.

"_Cogitationis librum_," I whispered as the red and silver book appeared in my hands. I opened the clasp and flipped through the empty pages.

"Kurahadol." I softly called out… Huh? The pages still remained blank. They were supposed to fill up with the thoughts of the person whose name I called out. I repeatedly called Kurahadol's name but nothing came up. I growled in frustration. Why wasn't anything happening! I jumped at the sound of footsteps approaching and quickly ran into a random room. I held my breath until the footsteps retreated and sighed in relief. I took a look around. Why was I in a broom closet? I shook my head in exasperation. Focus! I glared down at the Cogitationis in my hands. I needed answers.

"Kona!" I called, still glaring at the book as the black-haired girl appeared in a flash. She looked around in confusion.

"Master, why are we in a closet?" Kona asked, pushing away a broom before it could fall on her.

"Never mind that! When I tried to use the Cogitationis, it didn't work," I said, "I called out the name and everything." I flipped through the pages of the book and showed her.

"Whose name did you think of?" she asked. I told her about what had happened earlier and I was trying to read Kurahadol's thoughts when he was talking to Merry. Damn. I lost my chance at finding out what really happened to Kaya's father. I mean, it's only logical that you would think about the incident when you're talking about it right. This meant that Kurahadol could have been thinking about what really happened if he had been flat-out lying in Merry's face. Kona just looked at me. What?

"Master. Did you know that you are supposed to call out the person's _**real**_ name when using the Cogitationis Librum? The book won't work if you don't have the person's true name and appearance in your mind," Kona said. I just gaped at her.

"That's important information! You're supposed to tell me that first thing when you gave me this book!" I hissed. Kona tearfully apologized and disappeared in a flash. I sighed and took off my glasses, rubbing the bridge of my nose. Okay, I admit I shouldn't have yelled at her. Kona was the most sensitive of the Mokona twins. I got out of the closet and looked around, coming out when I deemed myself to be alone. I thought for a bit and made my way to the servants' quarters. I almost ran into Merry when I turned the corner.

"Venn-san! Did you take Kaya-ojou-sama up to her room? Kurahadol just left to go explain to her what happened. Oh dear…" Merry said, looking distressed.

"What happened to the Master?" I asked. I almost regretted asking the man when he looked like he was going to burst into tears at any moment. I gave him a moment to regain his composure. Merry let out a hiccup before he proceeded to tell me what had occurred when we were out. Apparently, from what Kurahadol told him, Kaya's father and he were taking a trip around the island as they stated before they left. Just before returning back to the mansion, the master wanted to take a walk around the cliffs. What had happened was that the man walked a little too close to the edge and fell; Kurahadol had been too slow to reach him in time. Like I said before. Bullshit. I know for a fact that Kurahadol is far from being slow, what with that super-fast technique of his. The name of it escapes me at the moment. Then again, I doubt he would have saved Kaya's father if he could.

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><p>It just got worse after that. Once Kaya's mother got word of her husband's death, her health took a nosedive and the woman couldn't even get up from her bed anymore. It almost seemed like she didn't want to go on…<p>

Merry and I did everything to keep Kaya happy as much as possible. What little progress we made was shattered when her mother finally passed away after about a week of intensive care. We still never knew how Kaya's mother got sick in the first place. However, there was no time to be solving mysteries. Everything seemed to be falling apart around us. I wrote every day to Ava and updated her on what happened since the father's death… I don't really feel like telling you what her replies were…

As of right now, I'm currently hanging out in the woods with the Usopp Pirates. I was writing down one of Usopp's stories again in a dark brown journal. Hmm. Maybe I should start calling these things "story journals" since I'm just using them to record whatever the long-nosed teen says. I mostly just do it for the sake of writing; plus, the stories were actually told quite well. Yes, I'm getting off track. I just don't want to think about what had happened with Kaya's parents…

"Hey, Vasche… are you okay? I think I'm starting to see bags under your eyes." I didn't even bother to move when one of the kids, Tamanegi, stuck his face in my mine. I sighed and calmly shoved the onion kid away, taking care not to push too hard.

"You remember what happened recently?" I asked, interrupting Usopp in his story-telling. The teen and kids just nodded. News of the parents' deaths spread like wildfire in Syrup village within a few days. I wonder if they spread out through the rest of the Gecko Islands yet.

"I'm just so stressed lately. The death of her parents struck Kaya pretty hard and now she's becoming bedridden like her mother was. Everyone back at the mansion is getting really worried and that Kurahadol is practically driving me into the ground with all these chores." Merry told me that before Kaya's father died, the man was actually talking with Kurahadol about what would happen in the event that he and his wife couldn't take care of Kaya anymore. Kurahadol was to take charge of Kaya and the mansion. I find this kind of creepy…

"Kaya's so depressed right now. Of course, she _would_ be after all that has happened. The doctor gave her a prescription to take with her meals since she fell ill. Personally, all I think she needs is someone to cheer her up…" I sighed again and glanced at the other four. I blinked when I saw Usopp in deep thought. We all soon left to go home since the sun was about to set. Dinner at the mansion was another quiet affair. The only sounds were the clanking of silver utensils and soft murmurs across the table. I bid Merry good night and made my way back to my room. I grabbed my bag and took out the rune journal, planning to write again to Ava tonight. I just stared at the brown cover of the book, tracing the black runes that covered its binding. I looked up briefly to see the Mokona twins flash in, Kona curling up next me on the bed while Moka just leaned against the side.

"Hey, Boss. Are you feeling okay?" Moka asked, looking up at me with her red eyes. The white-haired girl had harped on me earlier when she found out I yelled at her sister the last time I summoned the Cogitationis Librum. I already apologized and everything, but Moka tends to hold a grudge. Luckily, she doesn't for very long since she forgave me a few days ago. I think Kona had something to do with that.

"Don't worry, Moka. I'm fine." She just scoffed at me but got on the other side of me; I was now sandwiched between the two sisters on the bed. I sighed, my face a little red, and just focused on what I was going to write to Ava. I grabbed a pen and proceeded to write on a blank page:

_Dear Ava,_

_Things have been rather hectic around here. Kaya's not getting better and Kurahadol is keeping me busy so I almost have no time to spend with her. I'm starting to wonder if he's doing that on purpose. Merry has offered to take some of the errands so I haven't collapsed from fatigue yet. I still have those afternoon snack times with Kaya, but they're not as often any more. It's already been two years since I arrived here. How are things over there in our world? I don't care much, but can you tell me how my dad's doing?_

_Vasche_

_P.S. I have a feeling that Usopp will be visiting the mansion soon._

I closed the journal and handed it to Kona, who placed it back in my messenger bag. I felt the twin sisters hug me before disappearing back into their rings. Taking a look at the crescent moon through the window, I just stood there gazing up at the sky. I guess it's time for bed now.

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><p>I grumbled as I walked down the halls towards Kaya's bedroom, carting a trolley with today's afternoon snack. Seriously, I swear Kurahadol is trying to keep me away from the little miss. I was about to knock on her door when I heard something I hadn't in a while. Kaya was giggling. I pressed my ear against the door. I was right. She was laughing and I could almost hear someone else laughing as well. I carefully opened the door without making a sound, mentally pardoning myself for the intrusion. I couldn't help but grin. Kaya was smiling as I spied Usopp on a tree branch outside her window. I crept closer and listened to Usopp as he told the girl one of his tall tales. All of a sudden, his eyes comically widened as he looked over Kaya's shoulder. Oh, it looks like he noticed me.<p>

"Oh! Venn-san! I didn't hear you come in. Um…this is- please don't tell anyone about-" Kaya waved her arms at me, a worried look on her face.

"I did knock." I interrupted her as I started to set up the tea and cake I brought with me on the trolley. "I don't see what you're fretting about, Jou-chan. It's just you and me having one of our usual talks. Would you like some cake, long-nosed tree person I can't see?"

Kaya just looked at me before bursting in a fit of giggles. Usopp just gaped at me, jaw dropped wide, as I offered him a plate with a straight face. I sat to the side as Usopp took a few seconds to regain his composure before continuing to narrate his story. I smiled as I listened to the two laugh. It has been awhile since I've heard it. Kaya's laughter, I mean. I laughed a bit myself since I was usually too busy writing and illustrating the stories to actually listen. I almost jumped, startled, when Usopp yelled and pointed at me.

"Aha! You laughed too, didn't you?" he said, eyes wide. Oh. That's right. I usually kept my cool around the Usopp Pirates so I never really showed much emotion around them. However, I do not like when someone points out when I do show emotion.

"No, I did not." I said, schooling my face with a blank look.

"Yes, you did! I saw you! Heard you too."

"No, I did not laugh. Stop being a pest." Usopp fumed as he tried to tell Kaya that I was lying since she must have heard me too. All she did was giggle as Usopp and I argued whether or not I did laugh at all.

I mentally smiled at Kaya's laughing and Usopp's annoyed face. Things are starting to get a little better but we all still have a lot ahead of us. No matter what happens, the only thing we can do is face it head on when it comes.

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><p><strong>A.N.: Whoo! Finally! New chapter is here! It's Avalon's time now. Sorry, folks. We did say that Luffy and the others might show up this chapter but I guess we're going to save them for the next one. To thank you for what reviews we have so far along with the alerts and favoriting, Vendiche gave me his notes on Vasche's Cogitationis Librum and Sapientiae Librum. We got a review from <strong>xWishfulxThinkingx**, asking what the limitations were. So here you go:**

**Name: Moka Ring ("**_**Cogitationis **__**Librum**_**" "Book of Thoughts") **

**Appearance: A simple ring - silver band with runes etched in red. Vasche wears this ring on his right hand. Summons a red book with silver highlights and a clasp. **

**Advantages:**

**1. Can read a person's thoughts**

**2. Useful for strategic combat and information gathering (especially interrogations)**

**3. Can also read the minds of the dead, provided that their ghost is in the surrounding area.**

**4. The book can float in mid-air so the user has free reign of his hands.**

**Drawbacks:**

**1. Must have person's real name and an image of what they look like. [Death Note]**

**2. Limited starting range of 5 yards. Range will grow with repeated use.**

**3. Cannot read the minds of artificial beings or those with MPD.**

**4. The entries in the book only last for 12 hours. If you want to keep what was written, it's best to record in a separate journal.**

**Name: Kona Ring ("**_**Sapientiae **__**Librum**_**" "Book of Knowledge")**

**Appearance: A simple ring - silver band with runes etched in blue. Vasche wears this ring on his left hand. Summons a blue book with silver highlights and a clasp.**

**Advantages**

**1. Practically a library inside one book**

**2. Updates continuously with information**

**3. Can produce holographic images, allowing for multiple-viewing**

**Drawbacks**

**1. Your search must be specific. Vague topics bring several entries.**

**2. Similar to Wikipedia, there's always the chance the information is incorrect.**

**3. Personal information cannot be searched (i.e. Birthdays, place of origin, family trees, etc.)**

**- **_**Vendiche and Avalon**_


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